Some months ago, the big boss called me in to her office. I had been prepped by my supervisor what might be coming, and my suspicions were confirmed. Basically, I was ... well not being promoted, but being given another worker's tasks in addition to my own. They were letting that other worker go.
I was excited to be trusted with more work, to look forward to less boring days. Honestly, I am a true workhorse. I get through tasks fast, efficiently, and effortlessly, and believe me, these are just facts, not arrogance. I was also smirkingly glad that the other worker would be leaving. They had annoyed me with their easily stressed out nature. When I'd do a favor for them, and it wasn't perfect or the thing wasn't happening right away, that worker would snap and be like, "well, where is it??" I knew other coworkers didn't like this about that person either.
But after going home, I began to reflect. This worker had been at the workplace 10 years. At first I wondered, how did they get hired in the first place, with that kind of stressed out personality and needing constant reminders? But much later I was told they had had a stroke about a year ago. All in all, in the weeks leading up to their leaving, I felt more and more compassion.
This person had once been a good worker. This person had a home at the workplace after 10 years there. This person was going to have a hard time finding another job, being likely over 60 (never learned their age). Unfortunately, as the business place adapted more to computers, and as I came on the scene, a younger, faster, savvier individual, decisions were made.
So what's the moral of this story? Am I sad to have my new duties? No. I'm still excited to have some more prestige around the place (I'm now basically the administrative assistant to three people, where before it was only one) and be less bored. The moral is there's always two sides to everything, and that we can hold two emotions, something taught in Judaism (in fact, you see it at every service, enjoying company and celebrating simchot along with remembering yahrzeits and asking for healing). I'm allowed to be both happy for myself and sad for her. So are the people who I'm now assisting.
And as I will always try to tie these blog posts into voiceover somehow, here it is. I'm a frickin' excellent hard worker, extremely organized, and pleasant to work with! Haha, shameless, I know, but I least I can say I've grown from a very self-deprecating child to a more confident and owning her talents and strengths adult.
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